Stripes and Pinkie
by hochmodel
Summary: (Male) CronaxKid Crona has had a crush on Kid for a little while but believes he has no chance since Kid likes girls. Not only is there this stress, but there's a bully at school who hates Crona for being gay. Can Crona get this bully off this back and get the man he wants?
1. Chapter 1

Crona knew very well how to deal with bullies.

Namely, you just avoid them or take it when they beat on you.

He walked the hallways of the DWMA with his head hung and his face red. He knew they stared and pointed. How could they not? He just tried his best to ignore it.

"What is it?" A girl whispered as she pointed at him. He flinched and kept walking.

"He must be a fag," one of the boys said. "Have you seen that hair?"

Crona gulped and felt the top of his head. He hated his hair. The color always made people give him weird looks.

Distracted, he ran into a stranger and knocked them both to the ground. He yelled as they collapsed. "I'm sorry!" He cried as he began to pick up the stranger's pencils. "I'm so, s-s-so-"

The stranger picked him up and threw him against a wall. Crona gulped and trembled.

He was muscular, with red hair and a ripped shirt. His jeans were a light blue and had holes in the knees. His shoes were combat boots and his eyes were a piercing blue.

"You coming onto me, fag?!" The boy shouted. Crona quickly shook his head. "Maybe you're actually a dyke," he said with a sly smile. Crona blushed harder.

"I-I-I'm n-not," he said as he covered his chest.

Ragnarock protruded out of his back, causing a harsh grunt from him. "Could have fooled me," He laughed. "Show everyone what's up your skirt!"

Ragnarock tugged at the bottom of the robe as Crona used his hands to keep it down. "Stop!" He whined. "Don't do that!"

"With two of us, there's no way it can keep us from knowing," the bully laughed as he trailed his hands up to Crona's crotch. Tears formed in Crona's eyes.

"P-P-Please," he begged. "Leave me alone!"

"What do you think you're doing?!" Someone screamed.

Black eyebrows furrowed. Golden eyes with flames of anger shot at the three of them. "Ragnarock's, stop harassing Crona!"

"You're not the boss of me!" Ragnarock's shouted back.

Kid held up his fist. "You really want to find that out?"

Ragnarock grumbled as he pushed himself back into Crona's body.

"And you!" Kid shouted as he marched over to the student. The student immediately let Crona go and backed up against the wall, looking worried.

"You wouldn't tell your father..." He said, his fists balled, a failed attempt at looking strong.

"Lord Death doesn't need to handle this. I can do that just fine." Kid growled as he punched the student square in the jaw, knocking him over.

Crona hugged himself and looked away from Kid, his face glowing red. He quickly wiped his eyes in an attempt to look like the stranger hadn't been affecting him.

"Crona, are you alright?" Kid asked as he put his hand on Crona's shoulder. Crona nearly jumped out of his skin in fear. Kid pulled his hand away.

"There's nothing to fear," Kid said with a soft smile. "I'm not going to hurt you."

"I-I-I k-know..." Crona stammered, still looking away.

"What happened?!" Maka asked as she and Soul jogged up to them.

"Crona was being sexually harassed by this pathetic excuse of a person," Kid said, his nose pointed upwards as he used his thumb to gesture to the student.

Maka and Souls both glared daggers at the bully, who glared at them back before he pushed himself up and charged off.

"T-T-Thanks," Crona said shyly before he picked up his pencils as notebook. "I can't but f-f-feel that this is m-m-my fault, though..."

"How is this your fault?" Souls asked.

"If I d-d-dressed normally..." Crona began.

"Dress the way you want. You being comfortable doesn't invite harassment," Kid said. "Come on; lets get to class."

Crona blushed brighter and followed him.

"That was not cool," Soul muttered to Maka. Maka nodded.


	2. Chapter 2

Crona stared hopelessly at Kid, doodling his name in his notebook and smiling. Maka gently nudged him. Crona looked over and her knowing smile and covered his face with his hands, trying to hide the blush.

Maka sent him over a note. He peered his eyes towards it.

"How long have you been into Kid?" It asked him. He shook his head, the red in his face growing more vivid. She took it back and write on it once more before handing it back to him. "It's so obvious! And it's kind of cute!"

Crona sighed and pulled his hands away. He wrote sloppily on the page before handing it back to her. "I have no chance. Kid is into girls." Maka frowned and thought for a moment before writing her note and sending it back to him.

"That doesn't mean he's not also into boys. You can be into both," the note said. Crona's face flushed harder. He didn't write back.

How long has be had a thing for Kid? He always was into boys- that much was obvious. But he never grew up around very many boys. All of the witches were women. He had met a boy once when he was little, and he had a huge crush on him but that was stomped out very quickly by his mother. He wasn't allowed to have friends, much less a lover.

BlackStar was annoying and loud. Soul was kind but still a little too mischievous. And then there was Death the Kid.

Kind. Gentle. Soft-spoken. Powerful. Strong. And handsome. What Crona wouldn't give to get his hands on- 'Stop it!' Crona thought to himself, his face redder than an apple. 'Those are naughty thoughts. It's not polite to have naughty thoughts about people!'

But naughty thoughts he still had.

Crona hadn't learned anything about basic human anatomy from his mother. He was never taken to any doctors nor given a formal education. He had learn about the body all on his own. When he wrung up the nerve (which was very rare) he'd sneak out to go to the local library and steal some books. His mother had taught him how to read and basic maths, so the books were challenging but he still managed.

When he began puberty he had to check out a book on human sexuality. Numerous times he tossed the book across the room and buried his face in his pillow, too embarrassed to read anymore.

But the book was interesting. It was informative. But there was nothing on there about same-sex relationships, so while it taught him more about what could be done, he still had to figure the rest on his own. He didn't know how to deal with figuring things out on his own.

So, despite Crona's best attempts, he thought about Kid kissing him and licking him and sucking on him and ruffling with his hair and nipping him so hard he left bruises. He thought about tackling Kid to the ground and ripping his clothing off and thrusting into his ass so hard Kid couldn't move the next day. Crona had his face buried in a book and crossed his legs, but as the entire class left for their next class, he began to sweat. They were going to see!

He got up and put his book over his crotch area as nonchalantly as possible. He quickly waved to his friends as he made his way to his next class, his face so red he could have passed out.


	3. Chapter 3

"Crona!" Maka called as she approached Crona. Crona blushed and smiled. "You seemed to kind of disappear today. Are you alright?"

"I, uh..." Crona began before Ragnarock ripped through his spine.

"Crona's embarrassed because he's a little perv!"

"Ragnarock!" Crona cried as he tried to put his hand over Ragnarock's mouth, who kept evading his hands.

"Crona's been daydreaming all day about him and Kid getting it on!"

"Stop it!" Crona complained, his face bright red. "Someone will hear you."

"Ragnarock," Maka stated, a small blush along her cheeks. "Stop bullying Crona."

"You guys aren't any fun!" Ragnarock complained before he disappeared.

Maka eyes diverted from Crona, who's face was facing down and brought red. He brought a hand to the back of his neck and rubbed it. Maka cleared her throat.

"I can see why you'd be feeling kind of shy," she said.

Crona wrung his hands. "Yeah," he muttered. "Anyway, I'll be getting home, now," Crona said.

"We're throwing a party tomorrow night," Maka told him as he began to walk away. She matches his pace. "Soul and I are inviting the whole gang. Are you coming?" She giggled. "Kid will be there."

Even more blood rushed to his face. "S-S-Sure...I'll come..."

"Wear something nice," she said as they branched off. "It's gonna be fun!" 


	4. Chapter 4

Crona breathed a sigh as he relieved himself at the urinal. He put his penis back in his boxers and let go of his cloak. He straightened it out before he heard the door swing open.

"So, I guess we finally know what's between your legs," a familiar voice stated. Crona gulped and turned away.

He felt himself being slammed against a stall wall. "So, are you a faggot or no?"

Crona didn't respond. He simply tensed his body to defend against the beating that was sure to come.

"I said, are you a faggot, or no?" The bully repeated more slowly. Crona remained silent. He brought his hands up to his face to protect it from bruising.

He heard pants unzip. Confused, he peaked through his fingers before he felt himself being pushed down to the ground. "Suck." The student ordered.

Crona stared up. He was on his knees with the student's hand pressing down on Crona's head.

"N-No." Crona stated.

"But isn't this what fags want?" The student as he pushed Crona's head into his crotch. "Suck."

Crona shook his head pushed himself away from the student's legs. "I-I-I don't-"

"I don't care what you want!" The bully pushed Crona back into his jeans. "Suck."  
Crona grit his teeth. He wouldn't do this. There was a limit to how far he was willing to go to please people. "You're not getting saved this time," the bully muttered. "You're staying here until you suck."

Is that really how useless he was? He needed to be saved at all times? Could he actually never defend himself and succeed?

He got an idea. He grabbed the shaft and yanked. Hard. The bully screamed in pain as Crona crawled away from him before he pushed himself up and raced out the bathroom door.

"Crona? Crona, what's wrong?" Kid asked as he saw Crona speed by. A familiar red-head chased Crona down, screaming all kinds of slurs and cursing like no tomorrow.

Kid glared at him before he followed in pursuit. "Get back here!" Kid shouted.

Crona, distracted, tripped over his cloak. With a Yelp, he tumbled down and rolled a few feet.

Struggling to get up, the bully tackled him to the ground. The bully pinned him down by his wrists. Crona squirmed around under him. "Let me go!"

"I don't think so," the bully snickered.

Kid yelled as he slammed into the bully. "Get off of him!" Kid screamed. The bully fell over. Kid quickly helped Crona up and pulled Crona behind him.

The bully pushed himself up and glared at both of them. "You know what you're protecting, right?" The bully muttered, his eyes narrow.

"Yes. I also know you're a waste of life," Kid retorted.

"Y-Y-You're the one w-w-who.." Crona started, falling silent as he gripped his arm.

"What did he do?" Kid asked him. Crona shook his head. "What did he do?" He repeated, never keeping his eyes off the bully.

"He t-t-tried to force..." Kid frowned. This idiot, Crona, and the word 'force' could only mean bad things. Crona flushed and turned away. "O-O-Oral..." He muttered.

Kid's brows furrowed. "Is that so?" He whispered dangerously. The bully charged off before Kid could tackled him, again. "Come back here, you scum!" Kid screamed at the back of the bully. No response.

Kid turned to Crona, who's eyes were on the ground, fiddling with his robe. His face was bright red. Kid pulled him into a close hug. Crona tensed. "I'll go to my father. He can proceed with an investigation."

Crona shook his head. "That boy doesn't n-n-need another r-r-reason to hate me.."

"He has no reason to hate you," Kid replied. "You've done nothing wrong. He's just an idiot."

Crona flushed. "Don't you c-c-care if I'm..."

Kid shook his head. "You're my friend. I mean, I'm curious, but it won't change how I see you."

Crona nodded. "I-I-I...I am." His face grew hotter.

Kid smiled. "Okay. Sounds good. Here, I'll walk you home."

"I-I'm I'm okay," Crona stuttered.

"I want to make sure he doesn't try to attack you, again," Kid said. "He seems dangerous."

He nodded. "T-T-That sounds...f-f-fine..."

Crona shuffled along, not looking at Kid, as Kid kept a smile plastered onto his face. "Are you coming to my party tonight?"

Crona quickly nodded. "I-I-I'll be t-t-there."


	5. Chapter 5

Kid looked for Crona, his brows furrowed. He didn't see Crona anywhere. "Are you alright?" Liz asked him, approaching him from behind. He nodded. He smoothed down his dark blue dress shirt and black slacks.

Kid sighed. "I'm just curious as to where Crona is." He wondered if Crona was okay. He was very shaken up after what had happened and Kid had asked Crona if he wanted to be picked up for the party. Crona declined.

"He'll be here," Patti told him, fiddling with her tiny purple skirt

Kid sighed. "I'm just worried about his safety."

"Crona's tough," Liz told him. "He'll be fine."

Kid heard a shy knock from the door. He abandoned the girls and opened the door. "Hello, Crona," Kid said with a smile. "You look quite handsome in your white pantsuit."

Crona flushed. "D-D-Did you…did you tell…" He whispered to Kid, his eyes darting away.

Kid shook his head. "I wanted to. If more people know, more people can be on the lookout for him. But it's your business and it's up to you to decide who to tell."

Crona nodded. Kid motioned him to come inside. "Come on. Let's have some fun."

BlackStar put a record on the stereo. "Crona's here! Let's partay!"

The loud, upbeat music played and the gang danced to the beat. The lights went out and colorful lights shined on the floor. Crona stayed by himself in his own little corner. Kid glanced over at Crona and smiled.

Eyes closed and mouth turned up in a small smile, Crona bobbed his head along to the music and tapped his foot. He still gripped his arms nervously, but clearly felt at least slightly relaxed. Kid wanted to go over there and ask him to dance but decided to leave him be. He seemed content.

Maka had other ideas. She shoved Crona towards Kid. "Dance with him," she demanded. "Come on!"

Crona flushed. "U-U-Umm…" His legs refused to move forward. His knees trembled.

Crona collided with Kid. Maka winked at them and walked off.

Kid glanced at her and then smiled at Crona. "Care to dance?" He asked. Crona's eyes darted away but he nodded and took Kid's hands.

Crona was not a good dancer. He stumbled around and his hands were clammy. Kid just smiled laughed, thinking it was cute. Ragnarock emerged from Crona's back, causing a pained grunt from Crona. "Watch it! You dance like you have two left feet!"

Crona looked down and frowned. "I-I-I'm sorry…"

Kid glared up at Ragnarock, his fingers clenching Crona's hands. "Considering you were nowhere to be found when Crona needed you earlier today, I don't think you should be complaining." Both Crona and Ragnarock turned to look at him, eyes wide. "I don't like it when you pick on Crona. He is your meister. You need to respect him. Have I made myself clear?"

"You wanna fight?!" Ragnarock shouted, putting his fists up.

"Ragnarock, s-s-stop," Crona whispered.

"I don't want to fight you. Fighting you would mean fighting Crona and I don't want to hurt him," Kid retorted. Ragnarock huffed but slipped back into Crona's back.

The song changed and Kid took his hands from Crona.

"Well, I should probably attend to the other guests," Kid told him. "I'll see you later."

Crona sent him a shy smile and blushed. "Bye," he whispered.

"I think you may have a chance," Maka told Chrona, sneaking up behind him. "No straight boy ever takes another man's hand when dancing with him."

Crona giggled and turned to Maka. "I-I-I hope."


	6. Chapter 6

Kid had escorted everyone out after a long night of food, games, and dancing. Liz and Patti retired to their rooms to take their make up off and go to sleep.

Kid counted all who had left on his fingers, swearing he was missing one. "Maka and Soul, BlackStar and Tsubaki...Kim and Ox...Where's Crona?" He asked himself, looking around.

He heard a small snore from behind him and looked over. Crona was fast asleep on the couch, a small hue on his face.

BlackStar had dared Crona into drinking a mixed drink. The poor boy was so nervous, knowing it was against the law and having no experience with it but he drank it nevertheless (or he drank what he didn't spill all over the floor due to his trembling hands). All it really did was make him sleepy.

Crona leaned against the cushions, his head twisted to the side, his uneven bangs falling all over his face. Kid was tempted to wake him up and send him home but Crona looked so comfortable he didn't have the heart to do it. He went upstairs and got a soft, warm blanket covered in red fluff. He walked back downstairs, his footsteps echoing through the empty mansion. He gently enveloped Crona in the blanket, being sure to smooth it out symmetrically. He had to admit that Crona looked adorable when he slept.

He locked his doors and closed the lights before he tip-toed up to his bedroom, trying to be sure not to wake Crona.

Crona awoke the next morning to the smell of cooking eggs. He yawned and his eyes fluttered open. His brow rose in confusion. "Where am I?" He whispered to himself before his eyes widened.

He was at Kid's house.

He slept over Kid's house.

His face flushed a deep red. He leapt off the couch and raced to the door to leave, but he was entangled in his blanket and tripped off the couch. He yelped and fell to the ground with a painful 'thud'. "Crona? Is that you?" Kid asked from the nearby kitchen. Crona froze. "Are you alright?"

"I-I-I'm s-s-sorry," Crona responded as he pushed himself off the ground. "I-I-I didn't m-m-mean to fall a-a-sleep." He picked up the blanket and held it closed. It only revealed his eyes and nose.

"Nonsense, Crona," Kid responded. "You were no trouble. Liz and Patti are gone for the day. Come eat with me."

Crona flushed and quickly nodded. "O-O-Okay..."

Crona, head down, shuffled into the kitchen.

The plates were perfectly symmetrical- not a scratch on them nor a dab of paint out of place. The food was the same. One hard boiled egg on each side of the plate with some three pieces of bacon in the middle on top of a perfect slice of bread. The plates sat opposite of each other, two forks and knives exactly the same size on both sides of the plate. "T-T-Thank you f-f-for breakfast..."

"It's no trouble," Kid told him. "How'd you sleep?"

"Nicely," Crona replied as he pulled out his chair. "Y-Your couch is c-c-comfy." Crona hung the blanket over the chair. He smoothed out his shirt and pants. They were crinkled and rode up as he tossed and turned throughout the night.

"Really?" Kid asked, his brow rising. "I've always found those a nightmare."

"It's comfier than my m-m-mattress," Crona replied.

Kid tried to hide his frown. He didn't know how much money this boy had but it didn't seem like he had very much. Crona didn't have a guardian at the moment. Technically, he should be in an orphanage. If it wasn't for the fact that Lord Death felt sorry for the boy and gave him his own tiny apartment, Crona would still be in that cell under the school; hardly a fitting place for such a sweet young boy. Crona never invited anyone to his house, but given the few things Kid had heard about it, he had to wonder if, compared to his wealthier friends, Crona felt ashamed of his humble abode.

Kid sat down across from him. "I've never been to your house. What's it like?"

Crona gulped. All he could think about was Kid having panic attacks over how messy it was. Crona was by no means dirty; he cleaned up after he ate and made sure there were no pests, but everything was everywhere. Clothing (what little he had) was strewed all over the floor, as he had no dressers. The blanket in his room was thin and patchy and his bed often went unmade. His couch had was torn up and the table was lopsided. He got both of them at the local thrift store. He only had one very uncomfortable chair for the kitchen table and the kitchen had two cabinets, a small refrigerator and a tiny stove. Ragnarock certainly didn't help things, as he threw stuff across the room when he was upset. The only place that was actually nice was the bathroom. The shower was tiny and the toilet small, but Crona made sure it was clean and it smelled nice.

"It can't be that bad," Kid chuckled as he took a bite of his food.

"Y-Y-You wouldn't like it," Crona mumbled. "It's messy."

Kid couldn't help but roll his eyes. "Crona, I'm not THAT picky about mess," he huffed.

Crona knew otherwise; nevertheless, he had offended Kid. "I-I'm sorry," Crona muttered as he picked at his food.

Kid waved the comment away. "It's no problem."

An awkward silence fell over them before Crona finally took a deep breath. "Y-Y-You can come over..." He said. "If you w-w-want to."

Kid smiled. "I appreciate that but I don't want you to feel forced to bring me to your apartment."

Crona flashed him a shy smile. "It's not forced. I w-w-want you to come."

Kid smiled. "Alright. We can go after breakfast."

They fell silent again, both digging into their food, but this time the silence was more comfortable. "Do you want my help with the dishes?" Crona asked him. Kid smiled at him.

"Thanks, but I have a certain way of washing the dishes. I don't usually like Patti or Liz doing them, either." He picked them up and ran them under the sink along with the pans he used to cook.

And Kid wasn't kidding. Every inch was scrubbed ten times. If he lost count, he had to redo it. Crona's eyes turned towards the clock a few times, the hours ticking by.

Finally, they left the manor and headed for Crona's home. Crona shuffled along the way, his hands held in front of his legs, grinning dumbly. Kid looked around the area, his hands in his pockets.

He had never been to this part of Death City, but he knew it wasn't very safe. There was a lot of crime around this area. People saw him coming and skulked off, knowing he was Death's son. His demeanor was calm but on-edge.

"Well, here we a-a-are," Crona said, putting his key in the lock and turning it. He gently pushed the door open.

Kid paled. "Oh no, the chair fell over, again," Crona cried as he rushed inside and put the chair back up. He got a book from a nearby counter and used it prop up the chair. "T-T-There," he said. "Perfect."

Kid hesitantly entered the tiny space. "I-I-I'm going to c-c-change," he said as he made his way to his room. "I-I-I'll be back." He shut the door behind him. Kid could hear the skinny boy stripping down. He blushed and cleared his throat.

'How thin are these walls?' He thought to himself.

Kid glanced around the apartment and felt his skin crawl. The filling in the couch slowly spilled out, leaving it lopsided. The kitchen table, due to the uneven legs, was left skewed. The walls had faded floral wallpaper partially torn off. There was some sort of red stain on the left wall. Kid stuck his tongue out in disgust.

He heard the door slowly open. Kid turned around to see Crona, who was in his usual cloak.

Crona smoothed down his hair and bashfully looked over at Kid.

"Would you like a snack?" Crona asked. Kid shook his head and straightened his skull tie.

"No, thank you."

Crona shrugged and went over to the small fridge and opened it, revealing five oranges. Nothing else.

Kid frowned as Crona pulled an orange out and began to peel it. "Oh, I, uh...I have other food, too...?" Crona said.

Crona's trembling hand pulled open the cabinet. There was a loaf of bread. Nothing else. "I'm sorry i-i-it's no symmetrical," he said, his face burning

Kid waved his hands. "It's not that...Crona, how much do you have to eat?"

Crona looked to the cabinet and then to refrigerator. "This." Crona turned his eyes to the door. "I-I-I've tried apply f-f-for a job...but everyone know who I am and d-d-don't want anything to d-d-do with me...there's a cafe down the street that g-g-gives me twenty dollars a week i-i-if I wash their dishes."

Kid couldn't help but wonder if Crona's life was always like this but knew it was not polite to ask people about their financial history.

As if reading his mind, Crona fiddled with the orange, his eyes downcast. "When I was with Medusa, s-s-s-she was always too busy to go shopping for food for me. Other times, she would starve me f-f-for punishment. A-A-And I got sick a lot b-b-because the house was always dirty."

Silence filled the house as Crona awkwardly munched on his orange. "When you're done, we'll go food shopping."

Crona wiped the juice from his lips and gently tossed the orange in the tiny trash can nearby. "What?" He asked, his eyes wide.

"Crona, you can't live like this. You don't have enough to eat. You get free lunches at school. I want to help you."

Crona shook his head. "I-I-I don't w-w-want to burden you."

"It's my pleasure," Kid said with a smile. "I would rather spend a little money than know that you barely have enough to eat and walk away."

"I-I-I'll pay you back," Crona said. "I-I-I promise."

Kid rolled his eyes and approached the door. "Don't worry about paying me back. I just want you to be able to eat."


	7. Chapter 7

Maka skipped up to Kid as the warning bell rang for class. "Have you seen Crona?" Maka asked him. "He hasn't been in the last two classes."

Kid shook his head. "I haven't seen him at all, today."

"What happened to him? He fell asleep on your couch," Soul commented, walking up to the both of them.

"He slept over and then I took him food shopping," Kid replied. "He had almost no food. Just a few oranges and a loaf of bread."

"There's a market down the street," Soul replied with a shrug. "He could just get his food there." Kid knew it was because Crona couldn't afford it but figured that it as Crona's business to decide who should know.

Kid shrugged. "Either way, we went our separate ways after dinner."

"Well we can stop by his place after," Maka told them. "We need to get to class," she said as she made her way inside.

He nodded. "Of course."

Kid kept his eyes on the clock through the rest of the day, wanting badly to see Crona again. 'Just to make sure he's okay,' he thought to himself. 'Nothing more,' he added with a small blush.

He practically bolted from the room as the final bell rang. "Kid, wait!" Maka stated, running after him. He stopped outside the classroom.

"Yes?" He asked.

"Chill, Kid," Soul snapped at it, following Maka. "I know he's your boy toy but we're worried about Crona, too."

Kid's face flushed but he chose to ignore the comment Soul made as they walked out the doors of the DWMA.

"I don't know the way to Crona's house," Soul said.

"I do," Kid said. "He took me there yesterday."

Soul and Maka exchanged smirks before they continued on the path to Crona's house. Kid fell silent, contemplating what could have happened to Crona. He felt his heart drop when he considered that the red-head could have hurt Crona in some way. He inhaled a shaken breath and exhaled before he finally came across Crona's tiny apartment. Kid knocked on the door. "Hello? Crona?" Kid asked. There was no response. "Crona?" Kid asked again.

"I don't think he's home," Soul said. Maka turned away and smiled. "There he is!" She shouted as she pointed at a small black blob coming there.

Kid and Soul turned to the direction she was pointing in. Kid smiled and waved. He saw Crona wave back.

Crona jogged over and hugged Maka. "Hello. W-W-What are you doing here?" He asked everyone as he pulled away.

"We didn't see you in school today. We wanted to check on you," Maka told him, holding her books to her chest.

Crona nodded and blushed before he extended to Kid several different bills in his hand. "I-I told you I'd pay you b-b-back."

"For what?" Soul asked him.

"Kid bought my groceries y-y-yesterday," Crona replied with a small blush. "And n-n-now I'm paying him back."

Kid shook his head and gently pushed the hand away. "I didn't ask you to pay me back."

"But I w-w-want to," Crona replied, his voice dropping in volume.

Kid's brow rose. "Why?" Crona shrugged, his eyes darting away. "How did you get all that money?"

"The café let me work overtime," Crona responded.

"You have a job?" Maka asked.

Crona shook his head. "The only place that wants a-a-anything to do with me is a small café down the street, a-a-and even then they d-d-don't want to be seen with me. They know what happened with Medusa."

"You skipped class to work to pay me back?" Kid whispered, more to himself than to Crona. Not even Patti and Liz did that and they spent money like no tomorrow. He was touched. He smiled to himself. "Spend this on yourself," Kid told him. "Buy some new clothes or something,"

Crona shook his head and extended the money back to him. Kid sighed and rolled his eyes. He took the money and pocketed it. "Fine. Thank you." He couldn't help but notice Crona's glowing smile and hos smiled widened. "I have the notes if you want to study with us."

Crona nodded. "Just let me get my notebook really quickly," Crona said as he unlocked the door and entered. The other three followed Crona into his bedroom. Kid gasped and held his breath, trying to counter an OCD attack.

The bed had no sheets nor a pillow. The blanket had holes in it and seemed so thin it might as well have not existed. One side of the mattress was exposed and covered in stains. Clothes were strewed all over the place. Crona looked under some of this clothing and found his notebook. "I found it!" He stated happily. He heard a noise and turned over to see Kid smoothing out his comforter.

"Asymmetry cannot be tolerated. Precious Crona deserves perfection," Kid mumbled as he tucked the blanket under the mattress and smoothed it over. He began folding the clothing and smoothing it over before moving to the other side of the room and began folding the clothing. The other three stared at each other awkwardly, waiting for him to be done.

After three outfits were perfectly folded on each side of the bed (Crona felt particularly awkward when Kid was folding his boxers), Kid, smiling, led them out of the house and to Maka's. Maka's and Soul's faces were pink- seeing as how they now know what Crona's boxers look like- and Crona's bright red. He smiled to himself and held his notebook to his chest. "He called me precious," he whispered to himself.


	8. Chapter 8

"Liz, what I am about to tell you is very sensitive information about one of our friends," Kid told her from across the table. "Please keep this between us."

Liz frowned. Kid was big on privacy and not much of a gossip so the fact that he called her here to discuss one of their friends must have meant something serious.

"Crona lives on only $20 a week," Kid told her. "I'm worried about him. His comforter has holes in it and his mattress is filthy. There are stains all over his house and he told me he really can't afford food. He hardly has any clothing to wear. I'm thinking we may want to invite him to stay here."

"What do you hope to accomplish by him staying here" Liz asked him.

"I don't know. I just want him to be healthy," Kid replied, crossing his arms. "And safer. He's right in a crime-ridden area of town."

"Kid," she sighed. "You can't provide for everyone. You have to respect Crona's independence."

His brow rose. "What do you mean?"

"Crona's self-confidence has skyrocketed since Medusa was killed," Liz explained, resting her chin on the palm of her hand. "Still, he still has very little self-confidence. If you invite him to stay here, you're basically saying that the way he lives isn't good enough."

Kid frowned. "His wall has a bloodstain on it."

Liz poked her tongue out in disgust before she continued. "Nevertheless, if you undermine his financial independence, there becomes a power imbalance between the two of you. He becomes dependent on you, which is bad for both yours and his mental health."

"You and Patti live here," Kid responded.

"We're your weapons. Weapons usually live with their meisters," Liz responded. "Crona is your friend. And I know he's had a hard time with life but you can't stomp over his boundaries simply because you feel sorry for him."

Kid sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I just don't know what to do. He had almost nothing to eat when I visited his apartment, and those stains on his mattress and holes on his blanket could cause him to get sick."

Liz thought for a moment. "I never said you can't be nice," Liz said with a smile. She got up and grabbed his hand. "I got an idea."

-TIME SKIP-

Crona heard a loud knock on the door from his spot on the couch. He put down his book and glanced towards the door. Ragnarock emerged from his back. "What are you waiting for?! Go see what it is!" He demanded. Crona sighed and got up from the couch. He hesitatingly tugged the door open. He saw no one. Frowning, he looked all around and then down at the ground.

He covered his mouth in shock.

Two baskets lay on his doorstep. One had bedroom accessories and the other, food. Crona bent down and picked up the black pillow. "It's so plump," He muttered to himself as he fluffed it. He ran his fingers over the soft, smooth blanket. It was black and had a gray skull on it; the same Kid wore on his neck and rings. He felt underneath and found black linen sheets. They felt cool and gentle to his touch.

He glanced over to the other basket. 8 red apples and 8 yellow bananas lined the basket. Inside were two boxes of sweet candy- Japanese candy shaped like sushi, the very kind Kid had at his party. Crona had loved them. Underneath the candy he saw a few pages sticking out. Confused, he reached for it and picked it up, revealing a book.

"100 True Stories About Ghostly Sightings," he read to himself. Crona smiled. He had mentioned to Kid that he had been saving up money to get this book. Despite his past, the supernatural intrigued him. They had learned about ghosts in Stein's class but he wanted to learn more.

Crona couldn't see Kid and Liz hiding behind the corner of the nearest building, grinning from ear to ear about how overjoyed Crona looked.

Crona wiped a happy tear from his eye. He brought the baskets indoors and locked it behind him. Kid and Liz high-fived each other.

-TIME SKIP-

Kid's stomach did flips as he approached the school. Crona was talking with Maka, a small blush on his face. Maka saw him coming and excused herself from Crona. Crona turned to see him as he walked by.

"U-U-Ummm...Kid?" Crona asked, pulling his school books up to his face. Kid turned to him, trying to keep his expression neutral.

"Yes?" 

"T-T-Thank you for t-t-the baskets..."

A small smile tugged at Kid's lips; nevertheless, he denied doing it. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"The bedspread had your f-f-father's emblem on it," Crona told him.

"My father's emblem is very popular in Death City," he replied, fiddling with the pencil in his pocket.

"The fruit w-w-was symmetrical," Crona continued.

"Everyone is a lover of symmetry," Kid replied.

"There was the b-b-book I wanted," Crona said, finally thinking he nabbed Kid.

Kid paused for a moment. How could he pass off that? Crona had told him, Maka, and Soul he was saving up for it when he went to study with them. They were the only three who knew that Crona was interested in that book, and it was found in one store across town. Crona was just talking to Maka, so he knew she and Soul didn't do it. Heat rose to his face. "The person who gave that basket to you- who was not me- must know you very well," Kid replied.

Crona giggled. "Well, tell that p-p-p-person I said 'thank you.'"

Kid noticed that Crona's hand cradled the book, the pages well worn and a book mark sticking halfway through as he followed Crona up the steps to school


	9. Chapter 9

'Do it!' Crona screamed at himself internally, looking around outside

'SAY SOMETHING!' He cried.

But he couldn't.

Crona dropped his pencil and pulled on his robe collar and gulped cartoonishly.

Kid sat next to him, his nose in a book, leaning back on the park bench comfortably.

'It's now or never. Man up!' His inner voice told him. 'You might not be alone with him for a while!'

Crona placed a trembling hand over Kid's. "K-K-Kid…"

Kid frowned and looked up at Crona. "Something wrong?"

"I-I-I-I-I….uh…." Crona swallowed. "Umm…" his face burned bright red.

Kid's frown deepened. "What's going on?"

Before Crona could let his anxiety stop him, Crona grabbed Kid's shoulders and pulled him into a kiss.

'WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!' Crona screamed internally, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. 'WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT!?'

Kid, at first, froze, his body in shock, before he melted into the kiss, closing his eyes and pulling Crona's body close. 'Oh. That actually worked…' Crona thought to himself, smiling into the kiss.

Crona felt the heat disappear and the hands holding him leave. His brow rose in confusion as the lips left his. He opened his eyes and saw Kid stand up and turn his back to Crona. "I can't."

Crona frowned. "I don't understand…"

"Same-sex relationships have a certain…stigma…attached to them. I can't afford to bring that to my family." Kid said, straightening his tie. "My father would lose respect from his citizens. I can't allow that."

Crona stood up and stared at Kid. Kid sighed and turned to see him.

His heart broke.

Crona's eyes glistened with tears. He hugged his notebook and pencil to his chest. "So…the bully is right, then. Being g-g-gay is a bad thing. I deserve the t-t-treatment he gives me."

Kid eyes widened. He shook his head. "No, Crona! It's fine," Kid insisted. "But I can't act on my desires. I can't bring that kind of baggage to my father."

Crona nodded and swallowed back his tears. "I understand." He turned on his heels and walked off.

"Crona, wait," Kid called to him. Crona ignored him, walking off a little more quickly. "Crona!" Kid shouted. Crona didn't respond, just sprinted away. He sighed and plopped back down in his seat. "Crona," he whispered to himself. He buried his head in his hands, resting his elbows on his knees. "I think I messed up," he mumbled.

He got up and shuffled over to Maka's house. He banged on the door.

He heard a latch open and the door was tugged open. "Hello, Kid," she said. She frowned. "What's wrong?"

"Can I come in?" Kid asked, hugging himself and looking about ready to cry. Maka nodded and motioned him to come in.

Kid plopped himself on the couch and ran a hand through his hair. "Crona kissed me," he stated blankly.

Maka sat down next to him. "And?"

"And I kissed him back. And I hugged him. And I wanted to tell him how much I want to be with him," Kid responded.

"So what's the problem?"

"I told him I couldn't be with him because I didn't want to bring the stigma to my family," He sighed. "I think I might have messed up."

"You better believe you did!" Maka snapped at him. Kid flinched. "You care about him. Who cares what people think?" She asked, throwing her hands in the air.

"I can't have people disrespecting my father," Kid cried.

"You don't need to protect your father," Maka replied. "He's Lord Death. He'll be fine without you trying to keep up the image." She paused for a moment. "I think you care more about _your i_ mage." Kid remained silent. His eyes turned away and he crossed his arms. "So I'm right. You don't want to deal with the same things Crona has to deal with." Kid flinched; a wave of guilt crashed over him. Maka put a hand over his knee. "You're going to get glares. You're going to get comments. And it's wrong that those things happen. And the people who will do those things are horrible people. But you have to decide if Crona is worth that."

Kid thought for a moment before he got up and turned to her. "Thank you, Maka. I have a young man to grovel to."

Maka giggled. "Good luck."

Kid smiled at her and pushed the door open. "Thank you. I'm going to need it."

"Also," she said as she got up to close the door after him. "I'll kick those homophobic asses. Just tell me who they are if it happens." Kid nodded and waved as he ran.

He ran over to Crona's house as fast as his legs could carry him. He almost slammed his body against the door when he finally got there. He banged on the door and called his name, ignoring the strange looks he got. "Crona? Crona, please! Crona!" Kid cried before he slammed his head onto the door and sniffled. "Crona, please," he whined. "I'm so sorry. I was selfish to push you away. I'm sorry."

No response. Kid sighed and turned his back to the door, sliding down to the floor and putting his head in his hands.

Kid could feel himself falling down from his backside. He caught himself and looked up.

Crona, his eyes bloodshot and his hair messier, stared back at him. "D-D-Did you need something?" He asked.

Kid scrambled up and pulled Crona into a kiss. Crona, at first, didn't respond before he began to fight Kid off. Kid, sensing this, let him go.

Kid had never seen Crona's glare but it struck fear into his heart. He had never known Crona to be angry, but last time Crona got angry he tried to kill one of the most powerful witches in the world. "What do you want from me?" Crona growled. "Y-Y-You said you couldn't tarnish-"

"I was wrong," Kid interrupted. "I was concerned with my own image. But I don't care what others think. I'm so sorry I hurt you. Please give me another chance. I'll prove it to you."

Crona's brow rose as Kid marched into his house with a purpose. Kid pushed the door open to Crona's room. The blanket's symmetry was ruined by Crona crying into it but the clothing and the sheets were still in place. Crona had refolded it and put it in the baskets, one on each side of the room. "W-W-W-What are you doing?" Crona asked, following him. Kid took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He opened them and began to toss Crona's clothes all around the room. "Kid!" Crona shouted.

Kid tore the blanket and sheets off the mattress and purposely messed up the robes Crona had refolded on the floor. He tossed them to the other side of the room before he began to mess those up as well. Once the room was in disarray, Kid fell to his knees. "I think I'm going to be sick," Kid said, covering his mouth with his hands, his face green.

Crona just stared at him in horror. This was his idea of begging for forgiveness?! Messing up his room?!

Then it hit him and he grinned. Kid was willing to betray everything he stood for just to prove to Crona he was sorry.

Crona fell to the ground and embraced Kid. "I forgive you," he said with a small smile. Kid gave him a shaky hug. "You can make it symmetrical, again," Crona added.

"OH THANK DEATH!" Kid shouted before he almost shoved Crona to the side and rapidly began folding the clothing. "I can fix this! I can make this all okay! Perfect symmetry will be met! Don't worry, Crona! Death the Kid is at your service!" Crona almost fell over laughing.


	10. Chapter 10

"Where would you like to go?" Kid asked him as he entangled Crona's hand in his.

Crona thought for a moment, his brow rising. He was too shy about is body to go to the beach- he was covered in scars from the years of constant abuse from Medusa and Ragnarock and wasn't exactly jumping up and down to show them off. He didn't have the money to go out to dinner, nor did he want Kid to pay for him after all the gifts Kid's already showered him with. Restaurants were often loud and Crona didn't feel comfortable enough to carry on a conversation with his crush alone. The bookstore was an option, but he didn't want to give Kid an incentive to spend money, again, and it was often crowded.

"T-T-The Library?" Crona asked him, his cheeks pink. When he saw the look on Kid's face he looked away. "I-I-I mean, we don't have to…"

Kid's brow rose on his otherwise neutral face. Why would he pick there? They couldn't speak and there was hardly any people…oh…Kid smiled and looked ahead. "That sounds perfect." He pulled Crona into a chaste kiss before pulling away and starting to walk, a small blush on his cheeks and a bright red hue on Crona's.

Kid pulled Crona on, gritting his teeth behind a fake smile as he ignored glares and whispered slurs.

Crona was used to this kind of treatment. Between how he dressed and who he was related to it happened so often he barely noticed anymore. But now it was directed at Kid.

"Isn't that Lord Death's son?" One man asked his wife. "He's gay?"

"Homos," one man muttered as he purposely bumped into Kid. Kid inhaled a shaky breath before he continued. This will have to take getting used to. Is this what it was like for Crona?

"Lord Death must not be that great of a father if his son turned gay," one woman said to her friend. "He must be going through a rebellious phase."

At the mention of his father, Kid's fake smile fell. His walk slowed and his eyes fell to the ground.

It was Crona's turn to be the protector. It didn't seem as though Kid was used to having slurs hurled at him from everyone. It made Crona so sad to drag down his crush this way, but some things just couldn't be helped. He began to regret the kiss. If he hadn't expressed his feelings, Kid wouldn't be treated like this; nevertheless, what is done is done.

Crona matched Kid's pace and held tightly onto his hand, staring straight ahead, trying as hard as he could not to show any nervousness or submission to anyone around him. They were less likely to attack that way.

Kid turned to him, surprised. Crona was not usually this assertive. But he guessed that Crona had to find a way to ward people off, being who he is and what he has done.

"Is this what you have to do?" Kid whispered. "Just to get people to leave you alone?"

Crona closed his eyes and nodded. "It's b-b-been getting better," Crona replied. "I-I-I don't get the glares I used to."

Crona was tempted to let go of Kid's hand so people would think they were just friends but Kid had put his mental health on the line, barely avoiding an anxiety attack, just to prove to Crona that he doesn't care what people think. Crona couldn't hurt him like that.

A tense silence fell over the pair before they finally approached the steps of the library. Crona relaxed his grip. Everyone kept to themselves in the library. He was hardly ever bothered.

Kid looked over and saw Crona's face. Before, it had been stressed and on edge. Now, it was happy…er, happier. Crona must have found some solace from his anxiety and fears in books. Kid was happy about that. "Well, show me the kinds of books you like," Kid requested. Crona nodded and looked away from him.

Crona took him up the steps, never letting go of his hand.

The air felt nice and cool as they entered the building. To Kid's surprise, Crona headed to the comic book area. He pulled out one on Deadpool and smiled as he flipped through it. "This one is my favorite," he whispered to Kid. "H-H-He's the result of experiments and w-w-went insane, just like me."

Kid's heart broke. He knew the toll of abuse doesn't go away quickly, if it ever truly does. And Crona had experienced more abuse than Kid could imagine. He was curious. What exactly had it been like? What Crona hit? Neglected? Screamed at? Ignored? Molested, even? Kid had already heard that Crona had been starved as punishment at times. The memory made his blood boil. How did someone as sweet as Crona deserve to go through all that?

Though Kid couldn't help but wonder if that's what made him so sweet.

Crona felt the need to fill the silence, so he continued. "I-I-I feel strong when I read about them," he said. "L-L-Like I could do that o-o-one day."

Kid enveloped him in a hug. "You already are so strong," he muttered in Crona's ear. Crona's face flushed and he looked away.

Maka had told him several times that when he deflects compliments all it did was hurt the people who care about him. They had told him how they felt and he pushed them away. So, even though he was tempted to deny it, he didn't want to hurt Kid. He plastered on a fake smile and nodded.

"Don't believe me?" Kid asked him. "You kick ass. I've had very few opponents harder to beat than you. I'm sure Maka and Soul would say the same." Crona gulped and looked away. Those weren't pleasant memories. "Not to mention you went against your mother, one of the most powerful witches of all time."

"I lost," he muttered quietly as he put the comic back.

"You also almost died to save Maka," Kid said, hugging him tighter, willing his hands not to shake. What would he do without his sweetheart? Crona had come so close to being gone from him forever…

Kid took a shaky breath. Crona was here. That's what mattered. "That takes a lot of courage. And even now, when people were treating us badly, you didn't run and hide. You stood up for yourself and us by walking forward. You told them- without words- that their bigotry does not frighten you."

"But it does," Crona whispered, leaning into the hug.

"But the fact that you didn't let that take control of you shows how strong you are," Kid said as he pecked Crona's neck. Crona gasped and tore his head away, his face pink, hands trembling. Kid almost fell over laughing at how adorable he looked.

"Is there anything else you like?" Kid asked him. Crona thought for a moment, bringing a finger to his chin.

"I like most fiction," Crona said nonchalantly. "I also like social studies and history," he added.

Kid looked around and, finding the erotica section, grinned, getting an evil idea in his head.

"I found something you might like," Kid said, pulling a confused Crona with him.

"W-W-What are we doing in here?" Crona asked him.

Kid pulled out a random book from the shelf and flipped through the pages. His grin grew wider. He found the perfect passage.

"His tongue danced all across her breast, wild desire coursing through him," he read aloud, peeking at Crona.

Crona gulped and shook, slightly, his face burning. "W-Wha…What are you-"

"-She moaned as he licked her clitoris with his cat-like tongue," Kid continued, almost laughing at how badly it was written. People read this stuff? He could write better in his sleep.

Crona's nervousness was so funny and cute, Kid had to continue torturing him.

Crona clasped his hands in front of him and took a deep breath, trying to stop his body from trembling. If Kid knew how many sleepless nights Crona had because couldn't stop having dreams about him…

Crona wasn't as innocent as everyone thought. Oh, no. He had thoughts. He had dirty thoughts. Deliciously dirty thoughts all about him and Kid's bodies entangling with each other, huffs and puffs and broken skin, hollering and sweating…

"You seem to be excited, dear," Kid said with a smirk as he put the book back and wiped the bangs out of Crona's eyes. Crona squeaked and turned his eyes away. Kid held his stomach and laughed. Crona blushed deeper and crossed his arms, clearly not enjoying being teased.

"Come on, let's go get coffee," Kid said with a chuckle as he put his arm around Crona's shoulders and escorted him out of the building. Crona clutched his own arm in embarrassment.

There was a small coffee shop right by the library Crona pointed him to. Admittedly, Crona was not a big fan of coffee. It worsened his nerves.

Crona spotted something from the corner of his eyes and looked over, stopping both of them.

"What is it?" Kid asked.

Crona didn't reply. A black razor snake slithered through the bushes. It looked familiar. Painfully familiar.

It wasn't too long ago Crona had attempted to murder the woman that gave him life…

Crona stared at the snake, not looking sad or upset or scared, just…tired. Worn down. Finished.

Kid frowned. "Crona?" His eyes travelled to the snake and guessed what Crona was thinking about. "You're thinking about her, aren't you?" He mumbled, tightening his grip on Crona.

"How could I not?" Crona replied, more so to himself than anyone else.

"She's gone. She can't hurt you anymore," Kid told him, putting his other arm around Crona for comfort.

Crona turned to him. "W-W-What's it like to have your parent love you?"

Kid froze, his jaw dropped. How…how do you answer a question like that? Crona stared into his eyes so lost…so hopeless…so pained.

Kid cleared his throat and scratched the back of his head. "I honestly don't know how to answer that question," he sighed as he sat down on a nearby bench. He held Crona's hands and pulled Crona to face him. "I'm not exactly…conventional. I wasn't so much born but…willed," he said. "For lack of a better term. My father made me like this. I never was a child. I don't have any kind of mother. And before now I only saw Father as my creator, not as my…well…father. It was only when he saved my life from the Kishin did I begin to actually care for him as a father figure."

Kid pulled a hand away patted the seat next to him. Crona hesitated before he sat down next to Kid and pulled his own hand away.

"It's just…" he sighed and hung his head. He put his elbows on his knees and propped his chin up on his fists. "Like you," he started, looking back to Kid. "I-I-I was also…uh… 'w-w-willed' into existence. But I always saw M-M-Medusa like a mother. I-I loved her." Crona hugged himself and turned his eyes away. "A-A-And I wanted her to love me too," he whispered to himself.

He swallowed his tears. He wouldn't cry. He had spent too many tears on that bitch. "I remember on Mother's Day, I-I used to make her breakfast. Sh-She would scream at me and f-f-feed it to Ragnarock."

Kid could see how much Crona was hurting and his heart cried out. Here is this poor young boy willing to do _anything,_ even murder, just to get his mother to approve of him. And it was never enough.

Medusa had always considered Crona weak. And she was right in a sense. Crona was a weakling when it came to doing evil. But when it came to doing good? Crona was right there with everyone else, fighting the good fight and willing to die before backing down.

Kid figured that Crona needed a little bit of space. He placed his hands on Crona's knee, causing a frightened gasp from Crona before he relaxed. 'I can't even touch him without him flinching,' Kid thought to himself, his heart feeling even heavier.

Kid didn't know what to do. He just pulled Crona into a hug. "I'm sorry," was all he said. How do you comfort someone who has been through that?

"It's not y-y-your fault," Crona mumbled, still not looking at him.

"If the person who hurt you will not apologize, then I want to step up for them," Kid said as he touched his forehead to Crona's. Crona's eyes finally met him and he smiled. "She cannot hurt you anymore," he continued. "And I'm sorry you were in so much pain growing up and I'm sorry she couldn't see what a wonderful son and person you are. But that's her loss. You have me, Maka, Soul, Tsubaki, BlackStar, Patti, Liz, Dr. Stein, Maka's father, and even my own father who all adore you and want you to be safe and happy. Try not to dwell on the past dear."

Crona couldn't gulp back his tears this time but he was smiling. He just leaned into Kid's embrace, his face gentle, his body relaxed.


	11. Chapter 11

Kid and Crona stayed in the hallway, holding hands. The hall was empty. "I guess this is what we get for being late," Kid sighed. "It sucks being locked out of class."

Crona blushed and nodded. "But at l-l-least we c-c-can get the notes."

"Queer," The red-head muttered as he bumped into Kid's shoulder. Crona's glare followed him.

"H-H-Hey, don't call him that!" Crona shouted. "That's not v-v-very nice."

The red-head turned to him. "You actually talked back to me," he said, his hands in his pockets, his lips twisted into a crooked grin. "You know, Kid, you can't hide behind Daddy forever," He called to Kid.

Kid smiled and leaned against the wall, holding onto Crona's hand a little tighter. "I don't. I can handle myself. You're the one who fears my father."

"I don't understand how he can have a freak like you for a son," The red-head said, his voice filled with arrogance. "You're queer, you're OCD, and you have sex with that thing over there," he said, jerking his thumb to Crona. Kid tried not to flinch at the harsh comments. His father was always his weak spot, especially since Death had cared for Kid like a son and had saved his life.

"Don't talk about Lord Death that w-w-way," Crona said, pulling his hand away and stepping in front of Kid. "Lord Death is a w-w-wonderful god."

"You're just saying that so you can continue fucking half-stripes over there," The red-head laughed.

Crona swallowed his rage. He heard Kid whimper before a shriek of, "HE'S RIGHT! I'M ASYMMETRICAL GARBAGE!"

"You asked for it!" Crona grumbled before he stepped forward. "What do you want?! What can I do to get you to leave Kid alone!?"

Kid, curled up on the floor in a pool of his own tears, glanced up at Crona, who stood awkwardly in front of him, his arms trying to block Kid, as if harsh words could be blocked. Leave _him_ alone? Crona was the one who got most of the bully's brutality.

His face burned in shame as Kid came to the realization. That's right. Kid had initially rejected Crona because he didn't want to tarnish his reputation. He couldn't get that face Crona made out of his head. It was more than just sadness. It was devastation. Pure betrayal. Like Crona had been smacked in the face.

"Fight me. Show the world how worthless you and your kind really are," The red-head spat.

Kid's blood boiled. The bigotry and homophobia made him feel sick. He pushed himself off the floor and put a hand on Crona's shoulder. "Let's go. He's not worth it."

"No." Crona replied. "I want him t-t-to leave you alone."

Kid's eyes widened in shock. "Crona, you don't have to do this," he whispered in Crona's ear.

"Kid, leave," Crona quietly replied to him.

"This guy has tried to sexually assault you," Kid whispered harshly back. "I'm not going to leave you alone with him."

"Suit yourself," Crona told him as he stepped away.

Kid couldn't help but wonder why Crona had become so bold and confident. He had to admit, he found it rather attractive. His chin rested on his fist, his elbow resting on his other hand. The red-head laughed. "You're a helpless little bitch."

"Only because you were hurting me," Crona replied. "I don't care if you hurt me. But you don't ever call Kid that slur."

The red-head got into a fighting stance. "No powers. No healing yourself. We fight mano e mano." Crona nodded and put it back.

"Crona, this is stupid," Kid said. "He's just a homophobe. Leave it alone."

"No one calls you that and gets away with it," Crona replied as he rolled his shoulder away and moved towards the red-head. "I don't care what anyone does to me. But no one touches you."

'This is so unlike him,' Kid thought to himself.

"Ready to go, fruit cake?" The red-head laughed. Crona stared ahead and stood up, his feet together, his fists balled.

"What are you doing?!" Kid whispered loudly to him. "That's not how you get ready to fight!"

"Be prepared to shit rainbows," The red-head laughed as he punched Crona square in the gut. Crona heaved and collapsed to the floor, blood flowing out of his mouth.

"Crona!" Kid called.

"I got this!" Crona screamed back at him as the red-head pulled him up and flung Crona to the wall, as if the boy was a ragdoll. Crona slammed into the wall and grunted as he fell to the ground. He pushed himself onto his knees before the red-head kneed Crona in the back, who screamed and fell over.

"Leave him alone!" Kid hollered as he slammed into the red-head. The red-head shoved Kid away.

"Kid, I-I-I can do this," Crona said as pushed himself back up and leaned against the wall. "No one will…" he paused to take a breath. "Ever call you that name…again," he breathed before he sustained a kick from the red-head. He flew in the air and slid on the ground. He groaned as he struggled to get up before the red-head took his head and slammed it against the wall. The red-head socked him square across the face.

"Enough!" Kid shouted, scrambling over and blocking Crona from the bully, glaring daggers into his eyes. "You made your point."

"K-K-Kid..." Crona muttered, holding his bloody and broken nose, his face red with his gore. "L-Leave…I'm okay…"

"Crona, your nose is broken," Kid replied. "We're leaving and taking you to the infirmary."

Crona gently pushed Kid aside and stared up at the bully. "You don't scare me," he said, holding his nose. His voice came out nasally.

"You're bluffing," The red-head laughed as he raised his fist. Crona didn't react.

"I've faced far worse evil than some b-b-b-bigot," Crona growled.

With a yell, the bully grabbed Crona's body and slammed him over and over into the wall as hard as he could manage, punching Crona with the other hand all over his body. Kid tried to grab onto the red-head's arms to stop him but the red-head flung him away.

Crona slumped to the ground, panting and shaking. He held his stomach and his nose, trying to quell the bleeding and the pain.

Kid threw himself around Crona, blocking him from the other student. "I don't get it," The red-head muttered. "He just…he just took it. He didn't even try to get me to stop."

Crona gently pushed Kid off and stood up, his body sore, his vision fuzzy. "Of course not. I-I-I…," he breathed. "…don't believe beating you w-w-w-will do anything to stop the…w-w-way you think about people like me."

Silence rang through the hall.

"You can b-b-beat me until you kill me," Crona's knees gave out and he caught himself on the tile. Kid bent down and held him close. Crona was a wreck. Blood stuck to his face and robe. His hair was matted and covered in dry red blood. His black eye shone through his uneven bangs. He panted, trembling at the pained breaths. "B-B-But don't take your prejudice out on K-K-Kid," Crona's eyes felt heavy.

"Crona?! Stay with me!" Kid cried, gently shaking him. "Crona!"

"K-K-Kid," Crona mumbled, running a hand through Kid's hair before his eyes shut and he fell limp.

Kid slowly turned his face to the red-head turned, his face contorted in hatred, who was rubbing the blood off of his knuckles. With a scream, Kid pounced on him and beat on him, over and over.

The red-head threw him off but Kid jumped right back onto him. He punched the red-head's face and abdomen, over and over, tears falling from his face.

"What are you doing?!" Maka screamed as she ran over with Soul. "Kid!"

Kid couldn't hear her. All he heard was his rage. His rage at himself for hurting Crona so badly. His rage at the bigotry that cause this man to beat Crona senseless and all those people to glare at them and call them names. His rage at how unfair the world was. His rage at Crona for not fighting back.

He felt himself getting swooped up by some strong arms. "Let me go! He hurt Crona!" Kid screamed, kicking and struggling.

"Is this the man that bullied Crona?" Soul asked him, looking down at the bloody boy.

The red-head wiped the blood off of his face and onto his shirt. He put his hand over his mouth to keep from throwing up from all the blows to his abdomen.

"Kid, you have to calm down," Soul demanded. "You've beaten him. You won. You have to stop fighting him."

Kid fell limp in Soul's arms. "I couldn't protect him," Kid whimpered. "Crona's hurt and it's all my fault."

Soul dropped him and whacked him over the head. Kid, annoyed, rubbed the sore part of his head. "Maybe this is just me, but I'd blame the guy who actually did the damage," Soul told him, sounding irritated. "Not yourself."

Soul turned back to see Maka, holding a bloody and broken Crona bridal style, looking over at the red-head, enraged. "Soul, Kid, take him to Lord Death. We have proof that can get him expelled," Maka spat as she walked off with Crona to the infirmary.

"Let's go," Soul said as he grabbed one arm. With a shaky breath, Kid grabbed the other.


	12. Chapter 12

Kid paced back and forth in the living room, one hand behind his back, the other combing through his hair. Liz and Patti watched him, concerned looks on their faces, Liz gripping the cushions while Patti had her hands in her lap. Crona sat on the other end of the couch, his eyes heavy, a bandage circling his head and another on his nose. He held his head in his hands, a tired and frightened look on his face. A blanket lay over him for comfort.

They had successfully expelled the red-head. It was a long process, as the only witness to it was one that a) got involved in the fight, b) was the son of the headmaster, and c) was dating the accuser. A grain of salt had to be given to Kid's testimony. Crona told them the whole story. The bully had lied, but given the physical evidence- the bully's knuckles beaten in matching poor Crona's face perfectly, not to mention blood samples- he was torn out of school effective immediately.

The bully, who they now knew as Bruce, wasn't going to give up the fight that easily.

Crona had let himself be thrown around and punched and kicked, hoping that if he didn't fight back, this homophobe would see that it was a _person_ he was beating. Not some random queer, but a person, with hopes and dreams and feelings who just happened to like the same sex.

Alas, it was too much to hope for. Crona had been discharged from the infirmary after 2 days and both boys suspended for a week. Kid, sad that Crona had been hurt so badly but happy he was finally discharged, walked him home, sure to keep the pace slow for Crona. It still hurt for the poor boy to move, though Crona tried not to show it.

Kid's face drained of all color when he saw what was on Crona's door.

"Faggot," was carved into the door. A butcher knife pinned up a small note: "Watch Your Back".

Kid had never seen Crona shake so much nor his face so pale in his entire life. The boy couldn't breathe. He fell into an anxious fit, words sputtering out of his mouth that made no sense," Kill me" *gasp* "Kill me" *pant* "Hate crime" *gasp* "I'm going to die!" *gasp* "Bruce!" *tremble and pant* "Watching us!"

Kid and Crona packed Crona's things as quickly as possible before they left for Kid's house. Fortunately, Crona had very little in his tiny apartment, so the packing took very little time and there wasn't much to carry. "We have a guest bedroom you can stay in. We don't have time to argue, right now. Just pack your things. And no, you will not be a burden," Kid ordered as he started to take the food out of the pantry.

Still shaking like a leaf, Crona quickly nodded and stripped the sheets off of his bed and folded his clothing. He had no actual suitcase; he had to carry everything by hand, just like Kid did.

The two men were on edge and on very high alert as they made their way towards the Manor. Kid had insisted on Crona staying there, even if it was only temporary. The likelihood of Crona getting hurt there was very small since that was Death's house

Kid had immediately placed a call to his father the minute they got back. Crona sat on the couch and hugged his knees to his chin. His life had been threatened so many times before- Hell, once, it was taken- but this felt much scarier than the others. With the others, he stood a fighting chance. He knew where his enemy was and he had a tactic. This? To threaten his life just because he was homosexual? This person apparently knowing where he lives and probably following him and Kid? That was petrifying.

So, here they were. Crona's things were put upstairs. There was a small dresser that fit all of his clothing in the guest bedroom. That guest bedroom was about the size of his whole apartment.

"It has to be that creep," Liz piped up. "Who else has such a vendetta against Crona?" "

Kid nodded. "That is what I think, too, but we have no proof," he replied, not looking at her, continued to pace around the floor. "Father said he'd conduct an investigation."

"I assume we're going to tell everyone else," Liz said. "That way, Crona has more protection. The more people on the lookout, the better."

"That is a good idea, but only if it is okay with Crona," Kid replied, still pacing. "We don't need to make him feel uncomfortable."

Ragnarock protruded from Crona's back, causing a small grunt from the thin boy. "I don't know if you noticed," he hissed. "But Crona is right here. You could just ask him what he wants."

Kid blushed, slightly. "Right," He turned to face Crona. "What do you think, Crona?"

What did he think? He thought he wanted to die just to save them all the trouble of trying to protect him. He thought he wasn't worth their kindness and support. He was just a whiny, pathetic, overly-grown child. He thought that life was unfair and the world was cruel and he'd rather his death be swift than be drawn out like the Hell this was becoming. Most of all, though, he felt deep regret for kissing Kid that day. Kid wouldn't have gotten caught up in this mess. Crona would have just done what he was best at- running, hiding and avoiding it until it went away.

Being demonized for his sexuality was nothing new. Medusa didn't really care but the other witches did. Witches didn't like boys. The fact he even existed among them was enough to cause them to not like him. It, honestly, was part of the reason he always felt the need to look androgynous. Better to not stick out when you're among witches. The fact that he liked boys added insult to injury.

"Crona?" He heard. He saw a hand wave in his eyes. He squeaked before he shook his head. He must have zoned out.

"I-I-I-I don't want them t-t-t-to worry," Crona began. He clutched the blanket and pulled it closer to him. "I-I-It's better th-that they don't k-k-know." He took a deep breath and tried to hide his shaking hands behind the blanket.

"Crona, it is better if others know," Liz said. "We can all be on the lookout for that creep to make sure he doesn't hurt you."

There he went again. Being useless. Not being able to defend himself. Always needing someone else's pity and support. How much longer could it go on before they kicked him out onto the street? What would happened? He couldn't kill himself- his body healed whenever he tried in the past. He could try to run away, but last time that happened Maka had gone into a panicked frenzy. He couldn't do that to her, again. He had already tried to get the bully to leave him alone, but that failed.

He was useless. Utterly useless. Ragnarock had been right. Mother had been right. He really was worthless. He couldn't do anything on his own. How much further could he take down the people he cared about? How many more stares and comments could be made before Kid decided the relationship wasn't worth it?

He heard a snap and everything came back to him at once. Kid was on his knees, staring at Crona. "Darling, why are you in tears?" He asked. The Thompson sisters stared, Patti gently reaching out to touch him. He flinched and looked away. He felt beneath his eyes and they were wet.

Great. They probably thought he was overly-sensitive, too. He almost down into sobs, but he breathed them back with a sharp inhale and exhale. He looked Kid square in the eyes. "I-I-I can handle this."

"Last time you said that, you got a broken nose," Kid replied, a slight bit of annoyance in his tone. Crona flinched. Kid's heart twisted in a knot. This boy was going to be the death of him.

"Yeah. You can't do anything!" Ragnarock shouted at him. Crona covered his ears and hung his head. "Without me, Lady Medusa would have either killed you or disowned you. And you wouldn't be half as powerful as you are!"

"Ragnarock!" Kid snapped. "Crona is plenty strong without you!"

"Did you not see how my meister was tossed around? Did you not see what Bruce did to him in the bathroom?!"

"Wait, what?" Liz asked. Kid waved her off and mouthed, 'I'll explain later.'

"Crona can't do anything for himself! He can't even afford his own fucking groceries!"

"STOP!" Crona shrieked, causing everyone, including Ragnarock, to jump back. His face was hot and wet with tears. His throat hurt from the high-pitched holler. "STOP IT!"

Ragnarock shrunk back into Crona's back without a word. Crona panted and hugged his knees to his chest, seemingly oblivious to the nervous and concerned looks from the other three. "I-I'm don't want to be weak," he muttered to himself. "I can h-h-h-handle a bully."

"This bully wants to kill you," Liz told him, still keeping her distance.

"I-I-I-I fought Lady Medusa," Crona replied, almost pleading for some reassurance that he wasn't hopeless

"But you died. Maka had to help you," Patti interjected.

The room fell into a chilly silence. Finally, his eyes towards the ground, Crona let go of his blanket. Without another word from anyone, he shuffled up the stairs and into his room. He quietly shut the door behind him and locked it.

Kid growled and slammed his fist against the couch. Liz and Patti squeaked as he plopped down on the couch. "I made him feel defenseless," Kid mumbled to himself, rubbing his temples in stress. "I made him feel like he's a burden."

"You were just trying to help," Liz said. "He's very stressed out, right now. And what was that Ragnarock mentioned something about a bathroom?"

"Bruce tried to force Crona into having oral sex in the men's bathroom. Fortunately, he was able to make an escape and I was able to break the two apart," Kid replied.

Liz's face turned bright red, her brows narrowed in anger. "Bruce is a fucking perv," she huffed, crossing her arms.

Kid stood up. "I need to talk to him," he said before he raced up the stairs. He banged on Crona's door. "Crona? Crona?!" Kid called. It was eerily familiar to when Kid first rejected Crona. He felt just as desperate to see him then as he did now. "Please let me in." No response. "Please let me in!"

The door unlocked and quietly opened to a crack. Kid pushed the rest of the door open and saw Ragnarock retreating back into his meister's back, much to Kid's surprise. Crona's back was to him. He hugged the pillow Kid gave him, the covers with the skull disorderly. Kid tip-toed over to him and slowly enveloped him in a hug.

"You're not defenseless," he told Crona. Crona tense and gasped. "It doesn't matter if Ragnarock gives you a power boost. And it doesn't matter if you need some friends right now. This is scary, Crona." Kid held him tighter. "It's scary to me, too. It scares me because you could get hurt and I couldn't help you. It's scary to me because some crazy person wants to kill you. And it scares me because…if he gets what he wants, I'll never see you, again," he said, his volume dropped. Tears prickled in his eyes and he laid his head on Crona's back. "We don't feel the need to protect you because we think you're weak. We feel the need to protect you because we love you and want you to be safe."

Crona didn't move for a long time before he finally turned around and leaned into Kid's embrace. Kid held him tightly.

"Why is the world so cruel?" Crona quietly wept.

Kid discreetly wiped his own eyes with his sleeves. "I don't know."


	13. Chapter 13

The boys couldn't go to school for five days. Maka and Soul stopped by the manor to check to see if they were alright before they headed off. They hadn't seen the couple since the fight and they were worried. Maka knocked on the door.

Kid opened the door, looking pale and jittery. He called down for Crona to talk to them.

"I didn't know that Crona moved in here," Maka said, her hands on her hips. "Isn't it a little soon?"

"These are special circumstances," Kid replied, smoothing down his black T-shirt. Soul's brow rose and he shoved his hands in his pockets.

"What's going on?" He asked.

"You have to ask Crona," Kid replied. "It's not my business to tell other people what's going on with him."

Crona shuffled down the steps, wearing a long-sleeved black shirt and black jeans. Even when he didn't wear his usual dress he seemed to prefer long-sleeved clothing.

"H-H-Hello," Crona muttered, avoiding her gaze.

The bandages were finally gone. Crona's nose was still a little swollen but it was not nearly as bad as it had been, before. Maka noticed the lack of color in his face and the dark circles under his eyes. She also noticed the tremor in his hands. He didn't look at her. That only happened when he was hiding something. "I didn't know you moved into Kid's house," she said as she approached him. He took a step back. She frowned. "What's wrong? You tell me everything," she said.

"Crona," Kid said. "Is it alright if I tell them?" He nodded and turned his back to them, ashamed.

"What's going on?" Soul asked. "Why do you guys look like you've seen the ghost of Medusa."

"We might as well have," Kid replied, shutting the door behind them. "When I walked Crona home from the hospital, a slur had been carved into the door and a threatening note was hanging by a sharp knife. Needless to say, we're both stressed," Kid said as he sat on the couch.

"Crona, is this true?" Soul asked, hardly able to believe his ears. Crona, still not looking at him, nodded.

Even though Soul didn't _dislike_ Crona, Crona had never been Soul's favorite person. He was submissive and weak-willed, unlike everyone else in the group, not to mention he spent a little too much time with Maka for Soul's liking. Nevertheless, Soul didn't want to see any harm come to his boy. He was sweet. Strange but sweet. "Well, I guess we're just going to have to kick his ass, then," he said with a smirk. "No one hurts Crona and gets away with it."

"I-I don't want to be any t-t-trouble," Crona replied, finally turning to them.

"Crona," Soul said as he gently put a hand on Crona's shoulder. "It's very likely that whoever did this has done this to others, too. We need to put a stop to it."

Crona hadn't thought of that. Soul was right. Odds are Bruce had bullied other gay kids before and Crona was just his latest victim. He still didn't want to be of any trouble, however. He didn't want them to feel the need to protect him. He wanted them to just live their lives and be happy. "I-I-I'll be fine."

"Crona," Maka spoke gently, cupping his cheek with her hand. "You don't have to go through life alone. We're here for you. We always will be."

Crona's anxious frown deepened. Why were they so nice to him?

She enveloped him in an embrace. "We won't let anyone hurt you," she whispered in his ear. It reminded him of all the times in the past he was hurting and she comforted him. When they first met and he had tried to kill them...when he betrayed them and ran away...

He hugged her back. Her eyes widened and she beamed. Usually his arms just hang limply while he was hugged, as if waiting for it to be over. She knew he wasn't the biggest fan of physical contact and usually wanted as much space as possible between himself and everyone at all times. "T-T-Thank you, Maka," he spoke. He smiled. No tears. No tremor in his hands. Just a friend. His best friend.

Kid, feeling slightly left out, hugged them both from the other side. He said nothing. Soul rolled his eyes. "Are we done being mushy?" He asked, his lips turned up. "I feel like I'm going to throw up."

Maka extended a hand out to him and grabbed his arm. She pulled him into the hug. Soul just stood there, his expression irritated, but his lips upturned nevertheless. "Fine. Whatever," he chucked as he embraced them.

They broke away. "P-P-Please be careful," Crona said as they made their way to the door. "I don't w-w-want you to get hurt."

"I would like to see him try to take down the girl that beat the Kishin," Soul replied with a smile. "I think we'll be fine." They waved as they shut the door behind them.

Kid smiled and hugged Crona from behind. Crona stiffened before he relaxed. "You know, we have five whole days all to ourselves," he whispered in Crona's ears. Crona flushed and nodded. "You wanna be naughty?"

"K-K-Kid," Crona sputtered, his face hot. Kid chuckled. "I-I-I...I..."

"You mean you never thought of me in dirty ways?" He asked seductively, actually expecting his joke to be true of Crona. He wasn't entirely confident Crona knew what sex was. It doesn't seem like Medusa really went out of her way to give him a half-decent education. Crona was smart, though. Despite having virtually no foundations in anything, he kept up with his schoolwork alright.

Crona didn't respond. Kid's brow rose. "Well, have you?" He asked, more curious than seductive.

Crona gave him a weak nod.

Kid's eyes widened. Crona was so meek and innocent he never would have expected the boy to have a real sex drive.

This was hot.

Kid nipped at his neck, sure to leave the same number of marks on each side of the neck. Crona gasped and the tremor in his hands returned. "What positions did you think of me in?" Kid asked, and evil grin on his face.

Crona gulped. "Po-Po-Positions?!" He replied, his knees shaking.

"Yeah," Kid muttered, nibbling on Crona's ear. "Are you on top? Am I on top? Are we standing up?"

Crona licked his lips. Kid noticed this and slowly felt the skin under Crona's shirt. He trailed circles on his lower back.

"U-U-Umm...y-y-you on t-t-t-top," Crona replied.

Crona was so nervous Kid couldn't tell if Crona actually wanted to be seduced or if Kid was actually almost raping his partner.

"Would you like me to be on top of you today?" Kid murmured in his ear.

Crona gulped. If Kid saw him undressed, Kid would see those scars. He'd be disgusted.

But Crona wanted Kid. Oh, Death did he want Death's son. He wanted Kid to take him and rip off his clothes and make him scream.

"Y-Y-You wouldn't w-w-want m-me..." Crona replied. "I-I-I'm not..."

"Of course I do," Kid replied, trailing up his shirt.

He froze.

He felt rough skin. It couldn't have been from Bruce- Ragnarock had healed that skin.

So what could have hurt Crona so badly Ragnarock either couldn't or chose not to heal him?

He felt rough patches. Like he had been scarred.

Kid continued around Crona's back, eyes wider every second.

His back was covered with rough patches. Some Crona flinched at- they still hurt. Others were little in size but, given the line, Kid could feel that they went deep.

He felt the large cut from Medusa's vector arrow.

"M-M-Medusa," Crona said, sensing Kid's confusion. "S-S-She was rough on me wh-wh-when I failed her.

"What did she do?" Kid asked, finally pulling his hand away.

"Whatever she f-f-felt like was app-app-appropriate," Crona replied. "H-Hiting, wh-whipping, b-b-burning, even c-c-c-cutting. Ragnarock wasn't allowed to h-h-heal me. O-O-One incident needed s-s-s-stiches."

Kid wanted to take all of these people that had ever hurt Crona and lock them in a burning building. Medusa and Bruce. The people glaring at them on the street. The rumors the students circulated about Crona's gender and family life.

How could she do that to her son? Her baby?

"Would it be alright with you if I took your shirt off?" Kid asked him. There was a pause. Crona was expecting a push away or a disgusted look. He slowly nodded, body shaking.

Kid softly pulled Crona's shirt over his head. He covered his mouth with one of his hands.

Black patches littered the pale skin. Cuts- some very thick and black, others mostly faded away. Square in the middle was a deep line where Crona had sacrificed himself to save Maka. Up in the left corner, Kid could see the cut that required stitches. The mark was sunken in and bright red. Medusa must have done quite a lot of damage. What had she used? A scalpel? A cutting knife? Crona's own sword?

"Sh-She used to say that a w-w-w-warrior's worth w-was always determined by his s-s-sc-scars," Crona mumbled. "I-If you want me to go away, I understand."

He felt lips press against his back. He gasped.

Kid kissed every single one of his marks, leaving his lips there for longer the deeper the scar went. The little sensations sent warmth through him. How could anyone be so loving?

"It pains me to see what you had to endure," Kid spoke, his hands resting on Crona's shoulders. "But I will take all the pain in the world if it meant making you happy. This is a very dark time in your life, I know, but I'm glad you showed me. I know you better, now."

Crona whipped around and pulled Kid into a deep kiss, his eyes squinted closed, his hands shaking. Kid's eyes widened with surprise before he smiled into the kiss, cupping Crona's cheeks with his hands.

Crona hissed as Kid nipped at his lower lip and pulled away. Crona whined and pulled him back, causing Kid to laugh into the kiss and run his hands through Crona's hair. Crona's eyes closed into the kiss, his usually uptight body relaxing.

Kid tossed the shirt on the couch and pulled away from Crona. Before Crona could speak, Kid grabbed his hand and raced up the stairs to Crona's new room.

He slammed the door shut and pushed Crona onto the bed and shoved his tongue into Crona's mouth. Crona gripped his blankets, shifting his legs under Kid's body. Kid trailed his finger down Crona's bare chest and ripped off his own shirt exposing his tan skin to the cold.

Kid happily nibbled on Crona's ear. Crona moaned before he covered his mouth with his hands, his face flushed.

Kid pulled his hands away from his mouth. "I want to hear that sound, again,"

Crona gulped but nodded.

And so they went on, Kid completely dominating Crona, nipping at him, kissing him all over. Crona lay flat, too embarrassed to move. He finally got his fantasy to come true but he couldn't make himself move to reciprocate. Sometimes a noise escaped his lips when Kid did something that made him feel particularly nice, his eyes closed and his hands against the headrest.

He moved his knee to give Kid better access when he felt it.

Kid was as hard as a rock.

He tensed, his face burning brightly. How was he supposed deal with that? Did Kid want him to do something?

"You can touch me, you know," Kid told him with a smile. "You'll like it more."

Crona quickly nodded. He trailed the tip of his pinkie finger down Kid's chest, stopping at the top hem of Kid's pants. Kid gently took Crona's wrist and touched his fingers to Kid's crotch. Crona's breathing hitched. "Do you want to?" Kid gently asked him.

"W-W-Want to…want to wh-wh-what?" Crona stammered.

"Anything, really. Oral, anal, just a handjob…" Kid trailed off, a light blush on his own cheeks.

Crona gulped and nodded. He rubbed the bulge back and forth through Kid's thick jeans. Kid gasped and gripped Crona's shoulders.

Crona's grip was light- almost like a feather. It was very clear to Kid that Chrona had no idea what he was doing.

Kid slowly slid his jeans off. Crona gulped. Kid frowned. "You don't have to do anything you don't want to," Kid said gently. He kissed Crona gently on each cheek.

"I-I-I just don't k-k-know what to d-d-do…" Crona mumbled, his eyes darting away.

"Just stroke."

Crona nodded. He began to very gently run his hands up to Kid's jeans and undo the zipper.

Kid's penis twitched. He closed his eyes, his brows furrowed, his grip tight. He wanted those hands all over him NOW.

Crona's hands were soft and nimble as he reached into Kid's boxers. He slowly stroked- too slowly for Kid's taste.

Kid knew it was his first time doing this. He bit back hisses of pain from the lack of moisture and the tense hand.

Crona could tell it was hurting him at times giving how he'd sometimes tense or squint his eyes. What did that book from so long ago say to do?

He licked his hand and put it back on Kid's shaft. He stroked a little faster, developing a rhythm. Kid grunted and closed his eyes, his mouth slightly open. He panted, moving along with the rhythm before he finally ejaculated. Crona' frowned and stuck his tongue out in disgust. Kid rolled over and sighed, relaxing for a moment, before he rolled back. "What do you want me to do?" He asked.

Crona shook his head. "I-I-I'm fine. R-R-Really?"

His brow rose. "Are you sure?"

Crona paused before he scooched over to Kid's chest and put his hand over chest. He smiled and gave a small nod.


End file.
